Blooms The Chemist has partnered with recycling specialists Pharmacycle, enabling their customers to recycle their medicinal blister packs.
Coinciding with National Recycling Week (7-13 November), customers can drop their used blister packs in co-branded receptacles at their nearest Blooms The Chemist pharmacy.
Receptacles will be available from 7 November 2022, across Blooms The Chemist’s entire network of more than 110 stores.
“More and more, our customers are telling us they want to be able to recycle common household medicinal waste,” says Pamela Bishop, Blooms The Chemist’s Chief Operating Officer.
Blooms The Chemist is the first pharmacy network to launch this initiative and Ms Bishops says they hope to “lead the pharmacy industry by example on environmental issues like recycling blister packs”
“[This] is why Blooms The Chemist is excited to be partnering with Pharmacycle to offer our local communities a complete recycling solution,” says Ms Bishop.
“It [also] ensures our stores can recycle blister pack waste generated from their dispensary service.
“This program helps Blooms The Chemist reduce our carbon footprint and supports our local communities to do the same.
“Blooms The Chemist is proud to be the first pharmacy brand in Australia to launch this initiative with Pharmacycle across our entire network, which allows for maximum program impact. We’re committed to contributing to a healthier planet and a healthier future for all Australians,” she says.
‘This is only the beginning’
With a future vision where all Australians can recycle common household medical and healthcare-related products and devices, Pharmacycle is the only full recycling solution for medical blister pack waste from start to finish, giving consumers peace of mind that their recycling efforts will not go to waste.
Pharmacycle has tapped into the demand for better recycling practices for pharmaceutical waste, and through partnerships like Blooms The Chemist, it can meet rising consumer expectations.
Jason Rijnbeek, Pharmacycle’s Business Development Manager, says this is only the beginning and that the company has ambitious growth plans.
“By the end of 2023, Pharmacycle will have at least five hundred drop-off locations right across Australia so every single person can recycle blister packs easily and conveniently,” he says.
Once collected, blister packs are transported to one of Pharmacycle’s local processing facilities, and through a series of mechanical recycling methods, the aluminium is separated from the plastic and later turned into a range of new products.
Transparency is something Pharmacycle prides itself on, ensuring that all materials collected are recycled in the truest sense – that it is not just collected, but also properly processed.
Pharmacycle’s Recycling Operations Manager, Nicholas Klapsogiannis, acknowledges pharmacies can lead by example on recycling medicinal blister packs, as sufficient volumes are required to warrant the use of specialised recycling technology.
“Blister packs are a real problem for households because they cannot be recycled in household recycling and often end up in that stream as contaminants. That’s why this new partnership with Blooms The Chemist is important because it provides the mechanism to achieve a better outcome for environmental impact,” he says.
“By activating drop-off locations right across Australia, we’re making it easy for the public to participate, and that’s important because our research indicates local communities are engaged and ready to get on board.”
